Purushottam Lakshman Deshpande (8 November 1919 – 12 June 2000), popularly known by his initials पु. ल. ("Pu. La.") or as P. L. Deshpande, was a Maharashtrian and Marathiwriter and humorist from West India. He was also an accomplished film and stage actor, music composer, harmonium player, singer, and orator.[1] He was often referred to as "Maharashtrache Laadke Vyaktimatva" (roughly translated as "Maharashtra's beloved personality").

Purushottam Lakshman Deshpande was born on 8 November 1919 in Gaodevi area (Krupal Hemraj Chawl) in Mumbai to Lakshman and Lakshmibai Deshpande. The family used to stay at Kenway house (opposite Robert Money School), Proctor road, Grant road in the 1960s. Most of the observation he wrote in his Ganagot (1966) like B Merwan- Irani restaurant, Lamington road (Dr Dadasaheb Bhadakamkar marg) Ganeshotsav & their Indian classical singing programs, Hirabai Badodekar's stay. His family then moved to Vile Parle and Pu La Deshpande settled in Pune for educational and work purposes.

His first wife (the former Ms. Divadkar from a family in Karjat) died soon after the wedding in early 1940s. On 12 June 1946, Deshpande married his second wife Sunita Thakur, an accomplished writer herself, in Ratnagiri. Sunita-bai outlived him. He died on the 54th anniversary of their wedding ceremony.

Both Deshpande and his wife served as teachers in Orient High School, Mumbai. Deshpande also worked for some years as a college professor in Belgaum, Karnataka before embarking on a career in writing, acting, directing and composing film music.

He also worked for newly founded Doordarshan, the state owned Indian TV. He was the first person to interview the then Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru on Indian television. He was deputed to the BBC in UK for a year-long training. After which he spent some time in France and in West Germany. It was this specific period and stays in these countries that his later travelogue "Apoorvai" was to be based upon. His other travelogue "Poorvarang" is based upon his journeys in South East Asian countries.

Deshpande was most well known for his writings as a humorist. However he was a prolific writer in all genres and produced numerous original works as well as adaptations of works from other languages into Marathi. He preferred to identify his Marathi adaptations of plays and novels in other languages as bhawanuwad (भावानुवाद), roughly meaning "translation of expressions" or "translation of feelings". Most of his writings are deeply rooted in Marathi language.

Some of the above characters first appeared in various periodicals at different times. But later all of them were combined into and released as a single book titled व्यक्ती आणी वल्ली (Vyakti ani Valli).

The essay, मुंबईकर, पुणेकर का नागपूरकर? (Mumbaikar, Punekar Ka Nagpurkar?) can be considered as a political essay besides being humorous one. PuLa was opposed to any superficial distinction of religion, race or caste, and of course regionalism. The narrow-mindedness and petty politics that followed after the regional divide of the nation must have disturbed him. And hence this parody of human nature that thrives on the idea of distinction.

The play highlights the struggle of a middle-age woman who is unable to walk because of an ailment. She is a daughter of a King or Zamindar of a small, princely state in India. The play captures the conflict between her father and her brothers, and depicts changes in their lives after the British Raj took over their princely state. A poet, who is a pen friend of the protagonist, helps her gain confidence which enables her to start walking again.

The play casts criticism on authoritarian religious leaders and depicts the positive and colorful view of life and generous spirit of a character in the play, which is in stark contrast to that of another character, an authoritarian religious leader. In the end, the latter recognizes the shallowness of his life.